Wegmans' hiring 350 people for part-time positions

With 350 part-time positions to fill, the new 130,000-square-foot Wegmans in Abingdon is swinging into high gear when it comes to hiring.

The store will open on Sept. 18. Applications must be submitted on-line at http://www.wegmans.com. Click on 'Careers'.

Full-time hiring began earlier this year.

"We've had an excellent pool of local prospects to draw from," says store manager Al Jackson. "Of 600 total hires, about 85 percent will come from Harford and Baltimore counties. Now is the time to apply."

Grocery experience is not required, he said.

"We look for people skills," says Jackson. "Then we provide some of the most in-depth product and service training in the industry. We carry more than 70,000 individual products here, including whole fresh fish shipped in daily and more than 700 produce items. Our employees need to know all about them." Wegmans will spend about $1.6 million on training for the Bel Air store prior to opening.

Another enticement for both part-time and full-time employees is Wegmans' Employee Scholarship Program.

"We proudly carry on the scholarship tradition that my grandfather started 28 years ago," Wegmans' president Colleen Wegman said in a news release. "Helping our employees on the path to higher education is one of the most important ways we can make a difference in their lives and in their local communities."

Since the program began in 1984, Wegmans has awarded scholarships totaling $81 million to more than 25,000 employees. Part-time workers can receive up to $1,500 a year for four years. Full-time workers can receive up to $2,200 a year for four years. For the upcoming 2011/2012 academic year, Wegmans recently announced 1,102 employees will be awarded college tuition assistance totaling $4.5 million. Employees must meet academic and work-performance criteria, along with a minimum number of hours worked over a specific time period. There are no restrictions on course of study.

For 14 consecutive years, the chain has ranked high on Fortune magazine's list of The 100 Best Companies to Work For, placing third in 2011. Hiring will continue throughout the summer.

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., is a 78-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and, soon, Massachusetts. Founded in 1916, the company is family-owned company and operates three other stores in Maryland.